Solful

Tucked comfortably into the corner of a shopping center in Sebastopol, California Solful is both a retail dispensary and a friendly hub for customers. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see two large, bright blue birds sharing a cherry just outside their store — a metal art piece crafted by local artisan, Patrick Amiot.

Solful is one of Sebastopol’s newest dispensaries, and they’re dedicated to building connections between customers and the people who make the products on their shelves, what they call “Muddy-Shoe Sourcing.” The CEO and Co-Founder, Eli Melrod, said they designed the space so they can host events for the entire community in the front half, with a glass wall to separate the retail area.

In their first two months, Solful has hosted farmers and other speakers, with more scheduled into 2018. Melrod said that the dispensary works with a variety of Northern California producers who create consistently clean and exceptional cannabis products. Customers come in looking for cannabis by how they want to consume it, so Solful organizes its shelves by delivery methods: edibles, sublinguals, flowers, salves, and concentrates.

Every brand they offer is tested, and they stand behind the ingredients on their shelves. Melrod said they have carefully selected which brands to work with. Solful won’t sell vape cartridges that use harmful additives, for example, which is why they offer brands such as Absolute Xtracts and PAX. “Everything in here I would sell to my mom,” Melrod said.

From miso broth, to chocolates, to dry-farmed flower, Solful keeps a wide range of cannabis products on their shelves, so their customers can find the most comfortable option. One side of the shop has apothecary jars displaying flower from regional farms, with full test results and information available.

A few of the farms featured on their flower shelves include Biovortex Farms from Humboldt County, Happy Day Farms from Mendocino County, and Glen Tucky Family Farm from Sonoma County. They even have a shelf dedicated exclusively to CBD flower, primarily sourced from Hope Springs Farm. The farmers and producers give back to their communities, and Solful’s staff does its best to share those stories. Melrod noted that customers have responded well to learning about the positive practices behind the cannabis products they stock.

Melrod said they created open, touchable displays that welcome newcomers to learn more. “We want to allow people to interact with the products and be educated in an environment that seems familiar,” and that is also what drives their passion for facilitating interactions with makers.

American culture tends to push “pleasure” or “recreation” into a separate category outside of health, but Melrod said he hopes that California doesn’t get caught up in that paradigm. “Living a happy life is preventative medicine,” he added.

For more information, visit Solful.com

Written by Allison Edrington